*
*
*
Date
The Dancing Fires
Drums were beating and bare feet stomped furiously, sending a cloud of dust and dirt into the air. A strong Myrian male with full dark hair that hung in waves past his shoulders danced against a woman, who spun wildly with her arms and legs decorated in smears of dry paint. Both had smiles that split across their face, and they jumped and twirled, responding to the movements of each other. A few other Myrians cheered, clapping and dancing themselves.
Kiva lept into the air, her long locks blooming around her face as she moved. The male across from her, K'alo, held her eyes and the heavy beads that hung from his neck clinked together and swung against his chest. Tattoos decorated his collarbone, and ran down his biceps.
Both were breathing heavily, and sweat ran along their tanned skin. When the drums stopped suddenly, they each struck a pose, breaking out in laughter and relaxed. They clapped and K'alo was the first to speak, "You're exhausting."
"Well," Kiva teased, taking deep breaths and going to retrieve her water skin and sit down. She bent over, looking over her shoulder at the male next to her, "Maybe you're just not strong enough."
K'alo grinned. They were both tired and he moved to sit next to his dancing partner, bumping his shoulder into hers lightly. The drums were beginning to pick up again and the two watched the show for a moment before K'alo craned his neck to look at her face, "When are you going to let me move in with you, Kiva of The Crimson Sun?" He was speaking with a light tone, but the offer was serious. More than once he had given the suggestion to her, and it was Kiva's turn to respond. Her smiled faltered and she looked away, rubbing her thumb against the strap of her canteen. She didn't know what to say.
"K'alo," Kiva said, shrugging, "I don't know." Moving in to a woman's clan house was essentially marriage to the Myrians. It was... a lot and her answer was the same as always. K'alo still held a faint smile.
"I know," he admitted, leaning back and raising a hand to reach behind her and run along the back of her head, feeling her full hair. Kiva allowed him to, still looking at the container in her hands. He looked up at her wistfully, "I would show no mercy to your enemies. Your burden would be my burden. We would have many children."
At the mention of having babies, a small flush rose to her cheeks, but a wall of hair kept it hidden. She remained quiet, feeling his hand move from her hair down her bare back. His fingertips felt hot against her spine, but Kiva inhaled, turning to look at him, "I am not easily convinced," Even as she said it, seeing the glint in his eyes made her start smiling and he took her hand, entwining their fingers.
"I know that, too." He leaned in quickly, pulling her towards him and stole a kiss. He smelled of sweet citrus and the musk of sweat. Kiva's center of gravity shifted and they fell backwards onto the ground, her chest pressed against his.
Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her, deepening their kiss. Kiva felt a flame ignite in her stomach, and her body began responding. She let her hands run down his chest and he pushed against her, nipping her neck.
She was oblivious to the world around her, so she heard someone shouting, she barely registered it as her name.
"KIVA!"
Her eyes shot open, widening. With surprising force, the young woman shoved her suitor away, rolling over to see a woman with a baby on her hip staring at her with intense disapproval. Kiva scrambled to grab her things and cleared her throat, walking like a dog between its legs to its owner. The woman's gaze never broke as she approached, "You disappoint me. K'alo?" She scoffed, shifting the child from one hip to the other, "What does your mother think of this?'
Kiva did not answer. She hadn't had a chance to tell her mother yet.
"And you expose your passion to others like meat before a dog. Look around you, child. There are others who are not so happy with this arrangement."
She did as she was told, eyes scanning the dancing fires. A few faces had been watching the scene - two women , and another male was shooting daggers at K'alo, who was watching her. The young woman would be lying if she denied the pride that made her hold her head up a little higher, but it was short lived.
"Your thoughtlessness will put you into trouble." A sharp smack against the arm brought her back to reality, "Get your stuff. We have things to do and you've spent long enough being foolish."
*
*
Date
The Dancing Fires
Drums were beating and bare feet stomped furiously, sending a cloud of dust and dirt into the air. A strong Myrian male with full dark hair that hung in waves past his shoulders danced against a woman, who spun wildly with her arms and legs decorated in smears of dry paint. Both had smiles that split across their face, and they jumped and twirled, responding to the movements of each other. A few other Myrians cheered, clapping and dancing themselves.
Kiva lept into the air, her long locks blooming around her face as she moved. The male across from her, K'alo, held her eyes and the heavy beads that hung from his neck clinked together and swung against his chest. Tattoos decorated his collarbone, and ran down his biceps.
Both were breathing heavily, and sweat ran along their tanned skin. When the drums stopped suddenly, they each struck a pose, breaking out in laughter and relaxed. They clapped and K'alo was the first to speak, "You're exhausting."
"Well," Kiva teased, taking deep breaths and going to retrieve her water skin and sit down. She bent over, looking over her shoulder at the male next to her, "Maybe you're just not strong enough."
K'alo grinned. They were both tired and he moved to sit next to his dancing partner, bumping his shoulder into hers lightly. The drums were beginning to pick up again and the two watched the show for a moment before K'alo craned his neck to look at her face, "When are you going to let me move in with you, Kiva of The Crimson Sun?" He was speaking with a light tone, but the offer was serious. More than once he had given the suggestion to her, and it was Kiva's turn to respond. Her smiled faltered and she looked away, rubbing her thumb against the strap of her canteen. She didn't know what to say.
"K'alo," Kiva said, shrugging, "I don't know." Moving in to a woman's clan house was essentially marriage to the Myrians. It was... a lot and her answer was the same as always. K'alo still held a faint smile.
"I know," he admitted, leaning back and raising a hand to reach behind her and run along the back of her head, feeling her full hair. Kiva allowed him to, still looking at the container in her hands. He looked up at her wistfully, "I would show no mercy to your enemies. Your burden would be my burden. We would have many children."
At the mention of having babies, a small flush rose to her cheeks, but a wall of hair kept it hidden. She remained quiet, feeling his hand move from her hair down her bare back. His fingertips felt hot against her spine, but Kiva inhaled, turning to look at him, "I am not easily convinced," Even as she said it, seeing the glint in his eyes made her start smiling and he took her hand, entwining their fingers.
"I know that, too." He leaned in quickly, pulling her towards him and stole a kiss. He smelled of sweet citrus and the musk of sweat. Kiva's center of gravity shifted and they fell backwards onto the ground, her chest pressed against his.
Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her, deepening their kiss. Kiva felt a flame ignite in her stomach, and her body began responding. She let her hands run down his chest and he pushed against her, nipping her neck.
She was oblivious to the world around her, so she heard someone shouting, she barely registered it as her name.
"KIVA!"
Her eyes shot open, widening. With surprising force, the young woman shoved her suitor away, rolling over to see a woman with a baby on her hip staring at her with intense disapproval. Kiva scrambled to grab her things and cleared her throat, walking like a dog between its legs to its owner. The woman's gaze never broke as she approached, "You disappoint me. K'alo?" She scoffed, shifting the child from one hip to the other, "What does your mother think of this?'
Kiva did not answer. She hadn't had a chance to tell her mother yet.
"And you expose your passion to others like meat before a dog. Look around you, child. There are others who are not so happy with this arrangement."
She did as she was told, eyes scanning the dancing fires. A few faces had been watching the scene - two women , and another male was shooting daggers at K'alo, who was watching her. The young woman would be lying if she denied the pride that made her hold her head up a little higher, but it was short lived.
"Your thoughtlessness will put you into trouble." A sharp smack against the arm brought her back to reality, "Get your stuff. We have things to do and you've spent long enough being foolish."
